Shoe-turning machine



Dec. 15, 1936. A. EPPLER SHOE TURNING MACHINE Flled May 5, 1933 w 1 4 9 t 3 w 6 r $6 2 m m 3 w 6 5 4 5 Dec. 15, 1936. A. EPPLER SHOE TURNING MACHINE S SheetSwSheet 2 Filed May 5 Dec. 15, A E LER SHOE TURNING MACHINE Filed May 5, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 15, 1936. A. EPPLER SHOE TURNING MACHINE Filed May 5, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Dec. 15, 1936. A. EPPLER SHOE TURNING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 5, 1955 Patented Dec. 15, 1935 UNlTED STATES hTENT OFFHCE SHOE-TURNENG MACHINE Application May 5, 1933, Serial No. 669,568

17 Claims.

This invention relates to shoe-turning machines, and is herein illustrated as embodied in a forepart-turning machine of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,448,111, 5 granted March 13, 1923, upon the application of Andrew Eppler. The machine disclosed in the above-mentioned Letters Patent is provided with a relatively stationary forepart-spreader member positioned upon one side of a turning post and a clamp for engaging the heel end of a shoe upon the opposite side of the turning post. In that machine, treadle-operated mechanism is provided for moving the clamp and also for moving the turning post at half the speed of the clamp in adirection to cause the clamp to draw the shoe over the end of the turning post to reverse the forepart of the shoe.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved forepart-turning machine of the so type under consideration. In accordance with this object, features of the present improved machine consist in the provision of a power-driven shaft, mechanism driven by the shaft for effecting relative movement of the shoe-engaging members and an automatically operated reversing gear for reversing the drive of the shaft to return the shoe-engaging members to initial position. In the illustrated machine, provision is made for operating the reversing gear by one of the shoe-engaging members whereby the shoe-engaging members are returned to their initial positions after they have performed a shoeturning movement. In addition, operator-controlled means is provided for reversing or stopping the drive of the shoe-engaging members at any point in their travel.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view enlarged of certain parts shown at the upper end of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation of the upper portion of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a View in side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view in front elevation of the lower p rtion of the machine;

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of the lower portion. of the machine;

7 is a view in side elevation, showing certain of the shoe-engaging members in unclamped ptsition; and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. '7, showing certain of the shoe-engaging members in clamped position.

The supporting structure of the machine consists of a hollow frame I 0, upon which is mounted an extension or head 42. Trunnioned upon a pin Hi mounted in the upper end of the head I2 is a bracket it from which depend a pair of pivot pins I8. Each of the pins 58 carries a forwardly extending arm 29, and each of the arms 28 carries, upon its forward end, a downwardly extending member 22. Each of the members 22 is provided with a slot 24 (Fig. 3) whereby it may be adjustably secured by a threaded pin 25 and a clamping nut 23 to the member 20. The members 22 are shaped to receive the forepart of a shoe prior to turning, and they may be spaced toward or from each other to accommodate the width of the shoe by means of an adjusting screw 39 having two oppositely threaded portions 32 and 3%, respectively. against axial movement by means of a collar 36 which is pinned upon the screw and which is held against endwise movement by a pair of flanges 38 which depend from the bracket IS. A collar 48 is threaded upon the threads 32 of the screw 39 and a similar collar 42 is threaded upon-the threads 34. The collars 40 and 42 are shaped in the form of spherical segments. The collar 40 is received within a concave complemental recess formed in the arm 20 and is maintained in such U recess by a similarly recessed cover plate 44. The collar 42 is maintained in similar engagement with the other arm 20 by a similar cover plate 44. The collars 40 and 42, together with the re cesses within which they are received, constitute ball and socket joints which accommodate the pivotal movement of the arms 26 as the latter are adjusted inwardly and outwardly about the pins l8 by turning the screw 30. The normal position assumed by the bracket l6 under the influence of its own weight and of the weight of the parts which it carries is indicated in Fig. 4. In this position it is a simple matter to apply the forepart of an unturned shoe upon the members 22. tion of'the machine, to latch the bracket IS in the position shown in Fig. 1. Such latching is accomplished by means of a tooth 46 secured upon the bracket l6 and engageable with a detent 48 carried upon the end of a pin 5|] which is slidably mounted in the head l2. A compression spring 52 tends to urge the detent 48 into latching engagement with the tooth 46. To pro vide for unlatching the detent, a knob 54 is provided upon the outer end of the pin 50 and is en- The screw 39 is itself held However, it is desirable, during the opera- I I64. The clutch disk I 86 is similarly provided with a grooved hub I96 which is engaged by a pair of pins I96 carried in the forked end of an operating lever 26! which is pivotally mounted upon a pin 252 secured in the housing "54. Connecting the free ends of the levers I92 and 2!!!! is a link 204. The effective length of the link 2% may be varied for purposes of adjustment, inas much as this link comprises a member threaded in opposite directions and provided with a hexagonal portion 296 at its center for engagement with a wrench. For ordinary operating conditions the link 204 is so adjusted as to space the clutch disks I84 and 186 far enough apart to enable them to assume a neutral position wherein they are disengaged from the clutch disks I33 and IE6, respectively. Both of the levers I92 and 206 are normally urged in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5 by a tension spring 258. Secured within an extension 2H] of the frame 45 (Fig. 6) is a pin 2I2 upon which is pivotally mounted a bell crank comprising a hub 2I3 and a pair of arms H4 and 2I6. Connecting the free end of the lever 29!! and the bell crank arm 2M is a link 2I8 which, like the link 2134, may be adjusted for length. The spring 208, as a matter of convenience, is anchored to the hub 2I 3; its direction of pull, however, is such that it exerts substantially no turning force directly upon the hub. It does, however, exert a turning force upon the hub through the lever 200, the link 2H3, and the arm 2I4. The bell crank arm 2li is pivotally connected through a pin 22!! to an operating rod 222. The lower end of the rod 222 constitutes a hook 224 which is engageable with the under surface of a treadle lever 226. The treadle lever 226 is fulcrumed upon a pin 228 mounted in the frame I0 and is urged normally to upward position by a tension spring 239. A link 23I has its lower end pivotally con nected to the pin 220 and its upper end pivotally connected to one end of a lever 232 which is fulcrumed upon a pin 234 mounted in the bracket It. The opposite end of the lever 232 is engaged by a pin 236 which is carried in the lower end portion of the rack bar 14. Secured upon a pin 238 carried in the lower portion of the frame I0 is a bell crank lever 240 one arm of which is connected to a tension spring 242 which tends to rotate the bell crank 240 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5. The spring 242, like the spring 288 and merely as a matter of convenience, is anchored to the hub 2I3. The opposite end of the bell crank 269 is connected by a link 244 to the lower portion of the operating rod 222. It is evident that depression of the treadle 226 will pull the operating rod 222 downwardly, thereby rocking the bell crank arms 2I6 and EM in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5, and. through the link 2! will rotate both the levers 2G0 and I92 also in a clockwise direction, the effect of which movement will be to bring the clutch disk I34 into driving engagement with the clutch disk I and to move the clutch disk I86 further from driving engagement from the clutch disk l82. The shaft I62 will now be driven in the direction of rotation of the gear 55%, causing the pinions !32 and I56 to retract or lower the rack bars E4 and '75 respectively, the rack bar "M being retracted at half the speed of the rack bar it. The operator can stop the machine at any time by releasing his pressure upon the treadle 226 suificiently to enable the spring 208 to move the clutch disk I84 and I86 into neutral position. Furthermore, the operator may, if he desires, release his pressure upon the treadle 225 to a sufficient extent to enable the spring 268 to move the clutch disk I36 into operative engagement with the clutch disk I82 and thereby to cause the drive of the shaft 2 to be reversed and the rack bars to be raised. If, however, the operator contin es the downward movement of the rack bars, the lower end of the rack bar 74 will eventually engage a pin 246 adjustably threaded in the bell crank 240 and such engagement will rotate the bell crank 240 in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 5) causing the link 244 to pull the rod. 222 to the left so that the hook 224 will be released from engagement with the treadle 225. The tension of the spring 208 will now shift the clutch disks I84 and H36 into reverse position inasmuch as the bell crank arms EM and 2N5 are now free to swing in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5. The rack bars '14 and I6 will then be raised until the pin 236 engages the lever 232, the effect of which will be to lower the link 23I and the operating rod 222, thereby moving the bell crank armsv 2H3 and 254 in a clockwise direction and through the link 218 shifting the clutch disks I84 and I86 into neutral position.

Secured upon the outer face of the rack bar 16 is an angle piece 248 for supporting the toe end of a shoe while the shoe is being positioned in the machine. The angle piece 248 occupies a position directly beneath the ends of the spreader members 22 when the rack bar I6 is at its uppermost position. When the rack bar 16 is adjusted upwardly or downwardly relatively to the rack bar l4, it is necessary to make a compensatory adjustment of the angle piece 248 and the angle piece is accordingly provided with a slot 250 to accommodate a clamping bolt whereby the angle piece may be secured in adjusted position. The machine is also provided with a switch box 252 housed within the frame I0 and accessible through an opening therein. A switch for controlling the stopping and starting of the motor H8 is secured within this switch box. There is also a fuse box 254 secured within the frame I0. As an alternative to the motor I18, the machine may be driven through a pair of fixed and loose pulleys 256, 258 mounted directly upon the shaft I12 and indicated in Fig. 6. Secured upon opposite sides of the frame I2 respectively are a pair of work-holding trays 260' positioned at a height convenient to the operator.

In the operation of the machine, an unturned shoe S is placed upon the downwardly extending fingers 22, the toe of the shoe pointing downwardly and the fingers extending within the forepart of the shoe. The fingers 22 are then pushed inwardly from the position indicated in Fig. 4 to the position indicated in Fig. 1 and they are retained in this position by the detent 48. The rack bars 14 and I6 are in their uppermost position, and the angle piece 248 will be directly beneath and will support the toe end of the shoe. The shoe is now bent over the roll 80 on the upper end of the rack bar 16, and the heel portion of the shoe, which is still unturned, is clamped between the members 92 and 90. Fig. 1 shows the machine with the shoe thus clamped and in readiness for the turning operation. The operator now depresses the treadle 226, causing the heel clamping members to descend at twice the speed of the turning post rack bar 16. The effect of this relative movement of the shoe engaging members will be to draw the heel end of the shoe downwardly and to cause the shoe to be turned over the roll 80 on the upper end of the bar M. It will be noted that the pressure of the operators foot upon the treadle 226 is transmitted to the clutch disk I8 3 and that the operator may slacken this pressure, if he so desires, to avoid straining the shoe, and, on the other hand, he may apply as much pressure as he desires to effect the turning operation. Shortly after the shoe has. been completely turned, the pin 83 will strike against the lever 6Q, pulling downwardly upon the rod 62 and releasing the detent 38, thus permitting the spreader fingers 22 to swing into position indicated in Fig. 4. Further down ward movement of the rack bar M causes the drive of the machine to be reversed through mechanism which has already been described, thereby returning the rack bars to their initial upward positions. As the bracket 82 moves upwardly the heel clamping members will be automatically disengaged and opened by previously described mechanism and the shoe with the forepart now turned may be removed from the machine.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A shoe-turning machine comprising a plurality of shoe-engaging members constructed and arranged for relative movement to turn a shoe, a power driven shaft, mechanism driven by said shaft for effecting said relative movement, a reversing gear for determining the direction of drive of said shaft, means acting upon said reversing gear to cause said shaft to be driven normally in a direction to efiect an operative movement of said shoe-engaging members, and means for causing said reversing gear to reverse the drive of said shaft to elfect a return movement of said shoe-engaging members.

2. A shoe-turning machine comprising a plurality of shoe-engaging members constructed and arranged for relative movement to turn a shoe, power driven mechanism for efiecting said relative movement, a reversing gear included in said power driven mechanism, and means operated by one of said shoe-engaging members for reversing said gear to return said shoe-engaging members to their initial positions after they have performed a shoe-turning movement.

3. A shoe-turning machine comprising a plurality of shoe-engaging members constructed and arranged for relative movement to turn a shoe, power driven mechanism for effecting said relative movement, and operator-controlled means for reversing the drive of said power driven mechanism at any point in the travel of said shoe-engaging members.

4. A shoe-turning machine comprising a plurality of shoe-engaging m mbers constructed and arranged for relative movement to turn a shoe, power driven mechanism for effecting said relative movement, a reversing gear included in said power driven mechanism, operator-controlled means for reversing said gear at any point in the travel of said shoe-engaging members, and means operated by one of said shoeengaging members for reversing said gear to return said shoe-engaging members to their initial position after they have performed a shoeturning movement.

5. A shoe-turning machine comprising a plurality of shoe-engaging members constructed and arranged for relative movement to turn a shoe, a shaft, a pair of clutch elements slidably keyed upon said shaft, a pair of clutch elements freely rotatable upon said shaft, means for holding said rotatable clutch elements against axial movement upon said shaft, a gear wheel secured to each of said rotatable clutch elements, a driven gear wheel meshing with each of the first-mentioned gear wheels to drive the rotatable clutch elements in opposite directions, means for shifting both of said keyed clutch elements in unison to cause one or the other of said keyed clutch elements to engage one or the other of the driven rotatable clutch elements, thereby to cause said shaft to be driven in one direction or the other, and driving connections from said shaft to said shoe-engaging means.

6. A shoe-turning machine comprising a plurality of shoe-engaging members constructed and arranged for relative movement to turn a shoe, driving mechanism for said shoe-engaging members, a reversing gear for said driving mechanism constructed and arranged to start, stop and reverse the drive of said shoe-engaging members,

and operator-controlled means for controlling,

through said reversing gear, the drive of said shoeengaging members.

7. A shoe-turning machine comprising a plurality of shoe-engaging members constructed and arranged for relative movement to turn a shoe, driving mechanism for said shoe-engaging members, a reversing gear for said driving mechanism constructed and arranged to start, stop and reverse the drive of said shoe-engaging members, means operated by one of said shoe-engaging members, when said shoe-engaging members have completed a shoe-turning movement, to cause said controlling means to reverse said reversing gear to return the shoe-engaging members, and means operated by one of said shoe-engaging members, when the shoe-engaging members have been returned to their initial position, to cause said reversing gear to stop the drive of the shoeengaging members.

8. A shoe-turning machine comprising a turning post, means for holding a forepart of a shoe at one side of said turning post, a pair of heel clamping members at the opposite side of said turning post, means for moving said turning post and said clamping members relatively to said forepart holding means in a direction to turn the forepart of the shoe, a friction clutch included in said moving means, and operator-controlled means for varying, during the relative movement of said turning post and clamping members, the force transmitted through said friction clutch, whereby the operator can control the force exerted upon the shoe.

9. A shoe-turning machine comprising a plurality of shoe-engaging members constructed and arranged for relative movement to turn a shoe, one of said members consisting of a clamp for clamping a portion of the shoe, driving means connected to said clamp for effecting said relative movement, means for locking said clamp in clamped position, and means operated by said driving means for unlocking said locking means to release the turned shoe from said clamp.

10. A shoe-turning machine comprising a plurality of shoe-engaging members constructed and arranged for relative movement to turn a shoe, one of said members consisting of a clamp for clamping the heel end of a shoe, a spring for open ing said clamp, manually-controlled means for locking said clamp closed against the pressure of said spring, driving means connected to said clamp for effecting a relative operative movement and a relative return movement of said shoe-engaging members, and means operated by said driving means at the completion of said return move.- ment to unlock said locking means to release the turned shoe from said clamp.

11. A shoe-turning machine comprising a turning post, means for holding the forepart of a shoe at one side of said post, a pair of heel clamping members at the opposite side of said post, and power driven mechanism for moving the clamping members and the post to turn the shoe over the post, one of said heel clamping members being constructed and arranged to be moved manually and independently of said power driven mechanism into a position to clamp a heel of a shoe against the other clamping member.

12. A shoe-turning machine comprising a turning post, means for holding the forepart of a shoe at one side of said post, a pair of heel clamping members at the opposite side of said post, a treadle, power driven mechanism controlled by said treadle for imparting to the clamping members and the post operative movements to turn the shoe over the post and return movements to restore the clamping members and the post to their initial positions, and means associated with said power driven mechanism for stopping the return movements of the clamping members and the post independently of the treadle upon completion of a cycle of movement.

13. A shoe-turning machine comprising a turning post, means for holding the toe of a shoe stationary at one side of said post, means for engaging the heel end of a shoe upon the opposite side of said post, power driven mechanism for moving the heel engaging means and the turning post at different speeds to turn the shoe over the post, and means actuated by said power driven mechanism upon the completion of a shoe-turning movement to reverse the drive of the power driven mechanism to return the heel-engaging means and the turning post to their initial positions.

'14:. A shoe-turning machine comprising a plurality of shoe-engaging members constructed and arranged for relative movement to turn a shoe, mechanism including gear wheels in fixed relation to each other for driving said shoe-engagmembers respectively to cause the shoeengaging members to turn a shoe, and means for adjusting one of said gear wheels by rotating it independently of another gear wheel, thereby to adjust the operating position of one of said shoeengaging members relatively to another shoe-engaging member.

15. A shoe-turning machine comprising a plurality of shoe-engaging members constructed and arranged for relative movement to turn a shoe, driving mechanism for said shoe-engaging members, a reversing gear in said driving mechanism for causing said shoe-engaging members to be returned to their initial positions, and an operator-controlled friction clutch in said driving mechanism for varying the force transmitted to said shoe-engaging members.

16. A shoe-turning machine comprising a turning post, means for holding the forepart of a shoe at one side of said post, a pair of heel clamping members at the opposite side. of said post, power driven mechanism for moving the clamping members and the post to turn the shoe over the post, and means operable prior to the starting of said power driven mechanism for locking said clamping members in clamped position.

17 A shoe-turning machine comprising a turning post, means for holding the forepart of a shoe at one side of said post, a pair of heel clamping members at the opposite side of said post, a ratchet mechanism for locking said clamping members in clamped position, and power driven mechanism for moving the clamping members and the post to turn the shoe over the post.

ANDREW EPPLER. 

